FLOAT: Grab A Life Preserver

Sherren Lee‘s dramatic romance Float promises a story of self-discovery in the warmth of love and community. Unfortunately, what it delivers is a film that constantly feels as though it’s drowning in its lackluster narrative and contrived dialogue. It’s a hard film to stick with, the lack of authenticity and chemistry constantly threatening to lose its audience.

Barely Able to Keep Above Water

Float strangely enough begins in the air, a voice-over capturing the expectations of the journey Waverly (Andrea Bang) has been set on. Her parents have pulled some strings and arranged a summer internship in Toronto before she begins medical school in September. Feeling robbed of a summer in Taipei with her parents, whom she has not seen in years, Waverly’s world is thrown into a tailspin of longing and self-doubt, driving her to defy her parents and run to the safety of her estranged auntie (Michelle Krusiec).

There is an immediate framework created of the cultural expectations of Waverly’s parents and the individual needs we can feel she has been denying herself. As the presumed dutiful daughter panics and retreats, the isolation of the island she lands on gives her a moment to breathe – to almost float in place as her impulsivity directs her to her future.

Initially, Float feels warm and welcoming, a community and an opportunity to break conformity delivering the chance for a wholesome viewing experience. Unfortunately, the hollowness of the narrative that follows robs the film of its heartwarming moments, stealing any form of catharsis from the audience. Too often, each element of the film feels forced and unauthentic, the dialogue constantly hanging on each contrived moment. Films typically surrounding this avenue of storytelling gain richness on the naturalistic depictions they strive for, the narrative for Float looking constructed and inorganic. Sadly, Float sinks under the weight of trying too hard.

From the moment Waverly almost drowns, Float begins to take on an anticlimactic feel, leaning into predictable tropes and quips along the way. I wanted to like the film more than I did, the idea of experiencing the world by your own definition was captivating. Yet Float fails to reach the pensive heights it sets for itself, leaving a lot of lackluster filler that continually drags the film down and pushes the audience away.

Andrea Bang‘s Waverly is captivating and sweet, heightening the journey of self-discovery she is on. There is a meek outer shell Bang wears well, yet a fierce force of nature underneath that craves nurturing and freedom. Though while she is endearing, the chemistry between Bang and Robbie Amell‘s Blake flounders in the contrived context it is placed leaving much to be desired.

Conclusion

Dramatic romances are not supposed to fit the everyday lifestyle of the common viewer, the fantastical whimsy of love is a cathartic version of the experience many viewers wish could happen. Yet, the films that give us the whimsy while flaunting the possibility of reality are those that find the deepest success. For Float, there was neither whimsy nor a sense of reality ruminating through its core. While it initially starts in a relatable sense to the audience, it loses much of its authenticity and charm in the lackluster filler and predictability, drowning with no chance of rescue.

Float was released on VOD and in theaters on February 9, 2024!